1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the field of fast-food packaging and containers. In particular, it relates to a disposable condiment container intended for use with a conventional soft-drink cup.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical fast-food American meal includes a sandwich, french fried potatoes and a soft drink, and a handful of catchup packages or other condiments for dipping while consuming the meal. When eating seated at a table, people tend to squeeze the catchup into a container or on flat paper, such as the sandwich wrapping, so that they can dip the fries in it. On the other hand, when the meal is purchased xe2x80x9cto goxe2x80x9d and eaten in a motor vehicle, the process of dipping french fries in catchup or other condiment becomes problematic and cumbersome. Even it the condiment is served in a container, it is difficult to hold a sandwich with one hand, the drink with the other, and still be able from time to time to dip a fried potato in catchup and eat it. Thus, the process of consuming the typical American meal in a moving vehicle, especially while driving, requires more dexterity than most people possess and represents a well known inconvenience and some danger to safety.
The problem lies in the fact that people wish to be able to consume various items at the same time. Since each is available in a separate container, it is too difficult to manage them all well while sitting in a car seat. The process could be greatly aided by more stable containers capable of holding multiple items at the same time. Several inventions have been developed to address these concerns. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,444 to English et al. discloses a lid for a drink cup including a hanger hook for engaging a hole in a food container served with the drink. This arrangement allows the food and beverage to be handled together, simplifying the process of finding a suitable place for both while driving or being otherwise occupied.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,262 to Sharkey discloses the idea of an auxiliary condiment container with prongs for attachment to an associated foodstuff carton, such as a container of french fries. The auxiliary container is thus connected to the source of food for which it is intended. In a similar invention, U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,210 to Hibbs describes a beverage cup with a side pocket for holding a food product container. The food container is integral with the structure of the cup and derived from the same paperboard blank.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,079 to Jeng describes a stacked, two-cup structure for carrying a drink and an item of food in combination. The lower cup consists of a conventional drinking cup with a lid tailored for coupling with the upper cup through an upward-protruding nozzle at the center and a retaining ridge at the perimeter of the lid. The upper cup is sized to fit within the lid""s retaining ridge and has a bottom with a vertical nozzle sleeve conforming to the lid""s nozzle, so as to keep both cups securely connected. A drinking straw can be inserted through the nozzle for access to the drink.
These prior-art containers allow a patron to conveniently carry a food product and a beverage while freeing one of the patron""s hands, but none of these inventions provides a simple solution to the problem of facilitating access to condiments while eating and drinking fast food contained in conventional packaging. Therefore, there is still a need for an improved approach. This invention is directed at combining a catchup container with a conventional soft-drink cup by adapting the container so that it can be connected to the cup simply with a straw, rather than by providing a specialized assembly dedicated to the task.
The primary goal of this invention is a condiment container, such as a catchup package, that can be easily connected to a soft-drink cup and used for dipping finger food, such as french fries, without having to hold it as a separate item.
Another important objective is a condiment container that can be used with any drink cup, regardless of its shape, size or configuration.
Another objective is a container that can be connected to a conventional drink cup without modifications to the cup, so that it can be utilized with any standard drink container currently in use.
Finally, an objective of the invention is a condiment holder that is compatible with paper and plastic cups currently used by fast-food providers and is suitable for immediate utilization in commerce.
Therefore, according to these and other objectives, the present invention consists of the combination of a conventional lid for a drinking cup, a straw, and a ring-shaped container having an inner through-hole suitable for receiving the drinking straw.
The straw is used to couple the container to a drinking cup by passing the straw trough the through-hole and through the cup""s lid, such that the container is firmly anchored thereby. Thus, the condiment container is available to a user holding the cup without having to manage it as a separate item.
Various other purposes and advantages of the invention will become clear from its description in the specification that follows. Therefore, to the accomplishment of the objectives described above, this invention consists of the features hereinafter illustrated in the drawings and fully described in the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and particularly pointed out in the claims. However, such drawings and description disclose but some of the various ways in which the invention may be practiced.